I think it would be cool to get my teeth bleached to match the color of my eyeballs. My teeth and eyes would play off each other. It sounds intriguing to watch people look at me and try to figure out what’s happening/what they are seeing. Is it possible for a dentist to get the color right, or am I unrealistic? Anise from CT

Anise,

What a creative question! Thanks for submitting it to our office. There are some challenges to bleaching teeth to match your eyeballs. We’ll explain why and tell you about an alternative.

Whitening Your Teeth to Match Your Eyeballs

Whether or not a dentist can bleach your teeth to match your eyeballs depends on the whiteness of your eyeballs. Although it’s possible, there is a limit to how white a dentist can bleach your teeth. A dentist can whiten your teeth but not predict if they will lighten enough for your goal.

An Alternative to Bleaching

It’s easier to manipulate porcelain and get a good color match than to rely on teeth whitening. That’s why dentists who do a combination of whitening and porcelain veneers for patients with dark teeth will complete the whitening first. After the whitening stabilizes, a cosmetic dentist works with a ceramist to match the veneers perfectly to your whitened teeth.

Look for an advanced cosmetic dentist in your area and schedule a consultation to discuss the changes you want to make with your tooth color. The dentist will explain your options and what you can expect with teeth whitening vs. porcelain veneers.

Michael Szarek, DMD, an accredited cosmetic dentist in Lowell, MA, sponsors this post.